Jiang Bai grinned cheekily. "Doesn't matter what metaphor I used—what I meant was just one thing: Director, you're beautiful!"
Even someone as thick-skinned as Hu Tao felt a little overwhelmed by the compliment.
She ignored the heat rising to her cheeks and started walking forward as if nothing happened. "Alright, alright, let's go already!"
The day was still young, and the weather couldn't be better. The two walked one behind the other, sunlight spilling over them like gold-dusted halos.
"Director, how long until your birthday?"
Hu Tao turned her head in surprise. "About five days. Why?"
"Nothing—just wanted to make sure I remembered it right."
Jiang Bai smiled. Under the morning sun, his grin looked especially bright.
Once Hu Tao's birthday passed, she'd be sixteen. By the next Lantern Rite, she'd be seventeen by xusui (traditional Chinese age reckoning)—just a rounding error away from adulthood.
"What are you planning to give me, huh?"
"If I tell you, then what's the point of calling it a surprise?"
"So how's the great Director planning to celebrate her birthday?"
"Probably just invite everyone for a meal, hang out, that kind of thing. What else would I do?"
"And who's on the invite list?"
"Xiangling, Guoba, Xingqiu, Chongyun… just them, I think. Too many people ruins the vibe."
"You're not inviting Mister Zhongli?"
Hu Tao spread her hands in helplessness. "If he comes, he'll never quite blend into our young people's atmosphere. And once he's there, everything turns super formal and polite."
"I'd like to invite Qiqi, honestly, but I doubt she'd want to come."
Even though her relationship with Qiqi had improved a lot, the little zombie still didn't like her. Add in the memory issues, and Qiqi still ran away every time she saw Hu Tao.
"Well, that's because you always go out of your way to spook her," Jiang Bai said dryly.
Sure, Hu Tao wasn't trying to send Qiqi to the afterlife anymore, but she still loved scaring her—suddenly appearing behind her, dangling her head upside down from a rafter… What kid wouldn't be scared?
Hu Tao bounced ahead with her hands behind her back. "Come on, it's fun! Their expressions when they're startled are priceless~"
Life would be terrifying if it didn't have a little fun in it.
They soon arrived at a nearby bookstore.
There were quite a few bookstores in Liyue, but most of them didn't allow free reading. If you wanted to browse, you had to buy.
Stepping inside, the shelves were lined wall to wall with all kinds of books.
Besides books, the store also sold calligraphy scrolls, brushes, ink, and paper.
Without sparing the shelves a glance, Hu Tao walked straight to the counter and asked the owner:
"Boss, do you have Autumn Silhouettes and Sword Chronicles?"
The owner pushed up his glasses and poked his head out from behind a book.
"Oh, it's you, Hu Tao. I vaguely remember that one. About two months ago, some folks from the Feiyun Commerce Guild came and bought up the last few sets I had. Haven't had any since."
He'd only stocked a few sets of that title to begin with—sales had been almost nonexistent. It was obscure even among niche readers.
What had struck him as odd was the way Feiyun Commerce swooped in to buy every last copy.
"Already bought out? That sneaky Xingqiu!" Hu Tao clenched her little fists.
Just so they wouldn't read what he'd written, he'd actually gone around and cleared the whole market!
No point checking other bookstores now—he'd probably wiped out the entire Liyue Harbor stock.
"Should we check another shop, Director?"
"No need. Let's head straight to Feiyun Commerce!"
At this point, only Xingqiu himself probably had a copy. If she wanted to read more, she'd have to go directly to him!
"I saw him up on Mt. Tianheng a few days ago. He's out traveling right now—not home."
Let her go to Xingqiu's house? Jiang Bai would never allow that.
He'd gone to all this trouble setting up this little outing, even saved up his money—there was no way he'd let the Director detour to another man's home!
"We can always ask him next time. For now, let's just go shopping!" Jiang Bai clapped his hand on her shoulder and steered her toward a different direction.
"Fine, fine," Hu Tao said, not suspecting whether he was telling the truth or not. After all, borrowing the book wasn't something she needed to do right this minute.
Besides, her little junior looked like he really wanted to go shopping. She could humor him a bit.
Jiang Bai guided her into a clothing boutique. "You've always bought me clothes, but I've never returned the favor. Director, pick whatever you want. Today, it's my treat!"
Hu Tao usually wore the same few outfits—all in rather dark shades. The lighter-colored one she had on today was a rare exception.
Time to stock up on more! Pretty girls should wear new outfits often!
"Well now, what's gotten into you?" Hu Tao squinted at him, as if she'd just seen the sun rise in the west.
"Come on, Director! Back then, I was broke. Now it's different—I've got mora!" Jiang Bai patted the bulging pouch on his hip.
Two simple words: Pure pride.
"Oh ho? In that case, I won't hold back!" Hu Tao's eyes lit up.
A rare chance to not foot the bill? She wasn't about to pass that up.
Watching her excited expression, Jiang Bai suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.
He had a little over 1.3 million mora in his pouch… Would that be enough?
Too late now—can't back down after all that bragging! Worst case, I'll owe them!
...
Inside the shop, there were all sorts of beautiful clothes. Jiang Bai's eyes sparkled at the sight and, in no time, he'd completely forgotten about the mora.
No matter what Hu Tao tried on, she looked good in everything. Brimming with enthusiasm, he began plucking pieces from the racks and holding them up against her.
First, a black inner-layer dress with a red koi embroidered on it. "Try this one, Director! Koi symbolize good luck—perfect for a birthday!"
Next, he picked out a bright red pleated haitao patterned skirt. "Red for celebration—perfect for the Lantern Rite season!"
Then a set of dove-grey shuǐyún duàn pants with flowing cloud motifs. "Good for everyday wear—looks great and comfy!"
And he didn't stop there.
The more he looked, the more excited he got. Before long, Hu Tao was holding so many outfits that her face was completely buried under the pile.
Staring blankly at the mountain of clothes in her arms, Hu Tao found herself once again in that Who am I? Where am I? What am I even doing? state.
She'd gone shopping with Xiangling, with Yun Jin, even with Zhongli—but she'd never seen anyone shop like Jiang Bai.
What does he think I am?
A living dress-up doll?!
You know changing takes time, right? You expect me to try on all this?!
Luckily, the chaos didn't last long. The boutique attendant finally stepped in, clearly unable to watch any longer.
With a tactful smile, she said, "Sir, you've selected quite a few pieces already. This young lady won't be able to carry much more."
That finally brought Jiang Bai back to his senses. He looked at Hu Tao—who had, indeed, vanished under the avalanche of fabric—and winced.
Scalp prickling, he quickly rushed over to relieve her of the burden.
Seeing her completely expressionless face peeking out from behind the clothes, he laughed awkwardly. "Here, Director, why don't you try this one first?"
---
T/N: LMAO ROLE REVERSAL??